Attachment for animal operating table

ABSTRACT

AN ATTACHMENT FOR A TILTABLE ANIMAL OPERATING TABLE COMPRISING A BOARD MEANS WHICH HAS ONE END THAT FITS OVER THE RAISED END OF THE TABLE AND WHICH HAS ADJUSTABLE LEGS FOR ELEVATING THE OTHER END OF THE BOARD MEANS WITH THE RESULT THAT THE OVERALL ELEVATION OF THE OPERATING TABLE CAN BE RAISED.

Oct. 26, 1971 w. R. COMPTON 3,615,088

ATTACHMENT FOR ANIMAL OPERATING TABLE Filed April 7, 1969 I 46 2% M ax 36 s fi f0 INVENTOR h kwfiavfi CZMPm/v ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofice Patented Oct. 26, 1971 3,615,088 ATTACHMENT FOR ANIlVIAL OPERATING TABLE Warren R. Compton, 244 Brisbane Road, Oak Ridge, Tenn. 37030 Filed Apr. 7, 1969, Ser. No. 813,843 Int. Cl. A61g 13/00 U.S. Cl. 269-323 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attachment for a tiltable animal operating table comprising a board means which has one end that fits over the raised end of the table and which has adjustable legs for elevating the other end of the board means with the result that the overall elevation of the operating table can be raised.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple, detachable means for changing elevation of the conventional tiltable operating table which does not have means for adjusting elevation, while simultaneously, if desired, allowing changes in angular alignment of the board means with respect to the operating table. The veterinarian will be able to obtain the advantages of the expensive models of animal operating tables by using this attachment with the relatively inexpensive conventional tiltable table, which, in most instances, is the type of operating table which he already has. Simplicity of operation is still another advantage of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the attachment positioned on a tiltable operating table; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of the attachment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The attachment for a tiltable animal operating table is shown in detail in FIG. 2 while FIG. 1 discloses the attachment in its operative position. The attachment 10 comprises a board means 12 on which the anesthetized animal is placed. The board means 12 includes a frame member 14 and a top member 16 mounted on the frame member as by welding. The top member could comprise any type of board or, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a sheet of expanded metal in which diamond-shaped cutouts 18 have been made. The sheet of expanded metal offers the advantage of providing drainage, particularly if the operating board is positioned horizontally.

At one end of the board means 12 is a securing means 20 for securing the board to the upwardly raised end 22 of a tilted operating table 24, such as illustrated in FIG. 1. The securing means 20 preferably comprises a pair of transversely disposed, downwardly and inwardly extending L-shaped members or hooks 26 which are adapted to fit over the raised end 22 of the operating table 24 as illustrated in FIG. 1. It will be appreciated, however, that within the scope of this invention the securing means could comprise any suitable means such as suction cups adapted to be secured to the surface of the operating table. The suction cups would of course have to include a flexible stem so that the board means could be angularly inclined with respect to the surface of the operating table. Secured approximately adjacent to the other end 28 of the board means is an adjustable leg means 30 for adjustably elevating the other end 28 of the board means. As illustrated, the leg means 30 comprises a pair of transversely disposed leg members 32 with each leg member being pivotally mounted at one end 34 to the board means. There is also provided a pair of brace members 36, each of which is pivotally connected at one end 38 to the leg members, preferably intermediate the ends of the leg members, and each having the other end 40 releasably secured to the board means so as to permit pivotal adjustment of each leg member.

As illustrated the free ends 40 of the brace m rs have a cross-brace member 42 extending transversely therebetween. The frame member 14 is shown as being rectangular with a pair of end members 44 and a pair of side members 46. The long legs 47 of the L-shaped members 26 are secured to one end member 44. The side members 46 extend longitudinally of the board means and have transversely aligned notches 50 for receiving the cross-brace member 42. The notches 50 of each side member 46 are longitudinally disposed from each other so as to permit different angular inclinations of the brace member 36 associated therewith. Adjustment of the brace member 36 results in pivotal adjustment of the leg member 32 with ultimate adjustment in the elevation of the other end 28 of the board means. It will be appreciated that the leg construction described above is merely one operative embodiment of the invention. Other types of leg means could be used, such as telescoping leg members.

In operation, the overall elevation of the operating table can be adjusted through manipulation of the angle of the tilted operating table and the effective height of the leg means. The attachment can be positioned in such a manner that the board means is substantially horizontal or, if desirable, the board means could be tilted. The tilt could either be in the same general direction as the tilt of the operating table or could in fact be reversed so that the tilt lies opposite to that of the operating table. During the course of an operation, it may be desirable to change the tilt of the board means from a tilt in the direction of that of the operating table to one in a reversed direction since the anesthetized animal should not be moved on the board means. For instance, during chest surgery, it is desirable to keep other internal organs out of the way. One means of accomplishing this task is to use a retractor, but a more desirable method is to use gravity. Thus, the direction of the tilt will determine which internal organs will tend to migrate away from the area being operated on. Since a reverse tilt is contemplated, it is desirable to tie the legs of the elevated end of the board means to the operating table by means of tape or string stretched over the lower end of the operating table.

While a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated in the drawings and discussed above, it should be adequately clear that considerable modifications may be made thereto Without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing should be considered in an illustrative sense rather than a limiting sense, and accordingly the extent of this invention should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for a tiltable animal operating table comprising:

an animal operating board means;

securing means attached to one end of the board means for securing the board means to an upwardly raised end of a tilted operating table, the securing means comprising depending hook means secured to one transverse end of the board means and adapted to extend over and engage an upwardly raised transverse edge of a tilted animal operating table; and

adjustable leg means secured adjacent the other end of the board means for adjustably elevating said other end whereby the overall elevation of the operating table can be adjusted through manipulation of the angle of the operating table and the effective height of the leg means.

2. A tiltable animal operating table comprising:

generally vertical support means; table means having opposed ends, the table means being tiltably mounted on the support means and movable between a horizontal position and a nonhorizontal position in which one of the opposed ends is raised above the other of the opposed ends;

animal operating board means positioned on the table means;

securing means attached to one end of the board means for securing the board means to an upwardly raised end of the table means; and

adjustable leg means secured adjacent the other end of the board means and resting upon the table means for adjustably elevating the other end of the board means above the table means whereby the overall elevation of the table means can be adjusted through manipulation of the angle of the table means and the effective height of the leg means.

3. The attachment defined in claim 1 wherein the hook means comprises a pair of transversely disposed, downwardly and inwardly extending L-shaped members.

4. The attachment defined in claim 1 wherein the board means comprises a sheet of expanded metal.

5. The attachment defined in claim 1 wherein the board means comprises a frame member and a top member mounted on the frame member.

6. The attachment as defined in claim 5 wherein the top member comprises a sheet of expanded metal.

7. The attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein the leg means comprises a pair of transversely disposed leg members, each leg member being pivotally mounted at one end to the board means, and a pair of brace members, each brace member having one end pivotally connected to a leg member intermediate the ends of the leg member and having the other end releasably secured to the board means so as to permit pivotal adjustment of each leg member.

8. The attachment as defined in claim 7 wherein the free other ends of the brace members have a cross-brace member extending transversely therebetween and wherein the board means has a plurality of longitudinally dis posed notches for receiving the cross-brace member.

9. The attachment defined in claim 8 wherein the board means includes a frame member having oppositely disposed longitudinal side members, and wherein each 4 side member has transversely aligned, longitudinally disposed notches.

10. The attachment defined in claim 1 wherein the board means comprises a rectangular frame member and 5 a sheet of expanded metal mounted on the frame member, the securing means comprises a pair of transversely disposed, downwardly and inwardly extending L-shaped members secured at the free ends of the downwardly extending legs to the frame member, and the leg means comprises a pair of leg members, a pair of brace members, and a cross-brace member, each leg member being pivotally mounted at one end to the rectangular frame member and adapted to have the other end rested on the tiltable operating table, each brace member being secured at one end to a leg member and at the other end to one end of the cross-brace member, and wherein the frame member includes longitudinally extending side members having transversely aligned, longitudinally disposed notches for receiving the cross-brace member so as to eifectively control the elevation of the end of the frame member opposite to the end to which the L-shaped members are attached.

11. The animal operating table defined in claim 2 wherein the securing means comprises depending hook means secured to one end of the board means and adapted to extend over and engage an upwardly raised transverse edge of the table means.

12. The animal operating table defined in claim 11 wherein the hook means comprises a pair of transversely disposed, downwardly and inwardly extending members secured to one transverse end of the board means.

13. The animal operating table defined in claim 2 wherein the board means comprises a sheet of expanded metal.

14. The animal operating table defined in claim 2 wherein the leg means comprises a pair of transversely disposed leg members, each leg member being pivotally mounted at one end to the board means, and a pair of brace members, each brace member having one end pivotally connected to a leg member intermediate the ends of the leg member and having the other end releasably secured to the board means so as to permit pivotal adjustment of each leg member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1907 Frye 569 11/1960 Ferneau 563 X 11/1960 Monson 119103 10/1966 Holm 568 FOREIGN PATENTS 1933 Ger-many. 1934 Great Britain. 

